The rantings of a teacher who retired from the classroom but not from education.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Milestones

Yesterday a friend told me it was her brother's 59th birthday. It was a big milestone because he has now lived one year longer than their dad had lived. Her mom died 4 years later. When her dad died, her mom gave up her will to live, stopped taking care of herself and just stopped caring. I'm luckier than she is. I had my parents for almost 30 years more than she had hers. I still have my dad. I try to tell myself not to feel bad about losing my mom and watching my dad go down. I just cannot help feeling this way.

I worry about my dad giving up too. It doesn't matter that I talk to him four times a day and go visit all the time, bring over his favorite foods. I'm not my mom and nothing I do will ever change this.